“We have to move forward with the True Love Tea Luncheon. This witch doesn’t want someone to meet their fated mate, so we can’t cancel it.”

I tapped the table with my fingers, which resulted in another glare. “Of course when someone tells you not to do something, then curses the entire planet, you feel the need to piss off this powerful witch even more?” Nore tapped her long, perfectly polished nails on the table. “Actually, I think it might be fun. Flush this witch out and see how powerful this someone might be. And I have an idea of how to activate the tea.”

Nore flitted around the room, grabbing different ingredients. A scoop of this, a sprinkle of that. I wasn’t able to read any of the labels since they were in the same unfamiliar language as her spell book. She glanced at me, then whispered a spell so quiet, I couldn’t even make out the words with my shifter hearing. A tiny jar of leaves flared with a bright white light. When she was done, she carried the small jar into the shop area. Nore placed her new enchanted tea on a table, then retrieved a larger container of Terrible Tipping Tea.

Her main business was enchanting prank teas with punny names for tourists to buy for unsuspecting victims back home. Without the activator cream, they worked more like a mild suggestion than actual magic. I watched as she boiled a tea pot of water, then set it on the table’s potholder. With precise measurements, she combined the two teas and steeped them.

“Aside from being clumsy for an hour, it shouldn’t bother you much.”

The door chimed. I turned and watched the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen step into the store. Ravenna. She lived on the other side of Witch Cove in a cute little cabin on the beach. I couldn’t remember what she did for a living, but I’d run into her a few times.

“Are you having a tea tasting?” Ravenna neared the table and inhaled deep. “It smells delicious.”

Nore smirked as she glanced at the jar. I noticed there was no label on the jar, just the shelf. “Yup, Zagan here is testing a new blend for me.” She poured two cups of the tea and gestured for us to pick them up.

I grabbed mine, wondering how to stop Ravenna from Nore’s little prank. Since Ravenna was human, she wouldn’t normally notice the effects of the tea, but with the new activator, it might actually enchant her.

Ravenna was too trusting. She picked up the mug and tapped it against mine, then took a drink before I could warn her. Not wanting to look suspicious, I gulped mine down. “This is really good.” Ravenna took a few more drinks before she finished it off. She set the cup down and smiled. “I came to pick up my usual…” Ravenna’s voice trailed off as she glanced at me.

Her gaze lit a fire inside of me I’d never felt before. I set the teacup down. Before I’d realized what I’d done, I’d pushed Ravenna against the wall and kissed her. Ravenna’s hands pulled at my shirt, sliding underneath.

Nore cleared her throat. “Oh shit. I think I accidentally switched the teas earlier when I was straightening them. Probably should label the jars and not the shelves.” Every muscle in my body froze at her words. I stared into Ravenna’s gaze, consumed with the need to claim my mate. “I think this was the True Love Tea.”